Sbarro Health Research Organization

10/09/2025

🌟 Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine!

On behalf of the Sbarro Health Research Organization – SHRO Italy, we congratulate Mary E. Brunkow, Frederick J. (Fred) Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi, awarded the Nobel Prize “for discoveries on peripheral immune tolerance” and on the role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in keeping the immune system in balance.

Thanks to these discoveries, oncologists have: gained a better understanding of how tumors “switch off” the immune system through Tregs that suppress anti-cancer responses; developed strategies to bypass or block this brake; introduced new biomarkers — including FOXP3 — to identify patients with a highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and to guide therapeutic decisions.

In short, this knowledge has made immuno-oncology therapies more personalized and effective.

As an Italian–American organization committed to translational research, SHRO renews its commitment to transforming basic discoveries into tangible benefits for patients, training young researchers, and strengthening collaborations between Italy and the USA.

Congratulations to the 2025 Nobel laureates, and thanks to the scientific community that builds progress every day.

Read more: https://shro.org/shros-congrats-to-the-winners-of-the-2025-nobel-prize-in-physiology-or-medicine/

09/16/2025

The team demonstrated that Castalin can boost the effectiveness of CHK1 inhibitors, a class of drugs currently in phase 1 clinical trials.

“This discovery is part of a larger project focused on identifying new natural molecules that can be used in cancer treatment,” says Dr. Luigi Alfano, head of the research group behind the study, who collaborated with Prof. Forino and Prof. Frusciante from the Department of Agriculture at Federico II University of Naples.

According to Prof. Antonio Giordano, director of the Sbarro Institute, “This breakthrough opens new possibilities in the fight against cancer and shows how our idea of turning to nature as a source of new molecules is truly paying off.”

The implications are especially promising for triple-negative breast cancer.

“Our next goal is to explore the potential clinical applications of Castalin in breast cancer, both as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with the latest chemotherapy drugs,” adds Prof. Michelino de Laurentiis, director of the Thoracic and Pulmonary Department at the Pascale Cancer Institute in Naples.

Temple University College of Science and Technology at Temple University Scuola Superiore Meridionale

Scientists identified a natural extract that could help boost the effectiveness of cancer drugs. The insights gained from their study...

09/12/2025

💕 Today we honor the 100th anniversary of Giovan Giacomo Giordano (1925–2010) a Naples-born pathologist who united science, ethics and civic responsibility.

For over fifty years he trained generations of physicians, introducing in Italy the use of monoclonal antibodies and molecular biology in cancer diagnostics, opening the way to precision medicine. He also raised an early alarm on the link between environmental pollution and cancer (“Health and Environment in Campania”), and stood firmly for integrity in public healthcare. His guiding lesson endures: “First be a person, then a person of science.”

In this interview Professor Antonio Giordano reflects on his father’s legacy: science at the service of people, with rigor and responsibility.

👉 Read the interview on Informareonline.
https://informareonline.com/cento-anni-di-giovan-giacomo-giordano-il-ricordo-del-professor-antonio-giordano/

09/02/2025

🔴 Applications open: Brain Circulation 2025/26, Translational Gynecology Fellowship.

For future leaders in women’s health, a hands-on journey across Cremona, Philadelphia, Gaithersburg and New York, covering surgical anatomy, AI and molecular medicine, biotech and clinical translation, from Dec 2025 to Nov 2026.

Benefits include full fellowship training, a funded project, elite mentorship and high-impact visibility.

Deadline: October 3, 2025. Apply with a single PDF.

🗣 Tag a colleague who should apply.

See more and download the application form👇
https://shro.org/call-for-applications/

08/25/2025

Today we highlight a new chapter for SHRO in women’s health.

With the leadership of Dr. Canio Martinelli and Dr. Andrea Vidali MD Endometriosis, Adenomyosis , Miscarriage, we connect molecular signals to symptoms, then to smarter diagnostics and targeted treatments, with a special focus on endometriosis.

This is data-driven gynecology designed to shorten time to diagnosis and tailor care to each patient.

Science that listens to women, innovation that changes lives.

Join us, stay connected for upcoming studies and results, share this message and help us spread innovation where it matters most, from the lab to the clinic.



Antonio Giordano Temple University College of Science and Technology at Temple University Università di Siena Scuola Superiore Meridionale

08/22/2025

🎉 Happy Birthday to Giancarlo Arra, Vice President of the Sbarro Health Research Organization.

Your leadership brings together people and projects, Italy and the United States, science and community. With your drive we advance cancer research and bring innovation closer to patients.

Thank you for your vision, generosity and daily commitment. From all of us at SHRO, best wishes Giancarlo, let’s keep growing the research that changes lives. 🧬

08/01/2025

🤝 A new scientific and educational collaboration agreement has been signed between the Scuola Superiore Meridionale (SSM) and the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), founded and directed by Professor Antonio Giordano.

This partnership, which will involve students and PhD candidates, marks a significant step forward in building a transatlantic academic bridge between Naples and the United States, with a particular focus on molecular oncology and genomic medicine.

“The agreements between SHRO and SSM represent a significant advancement in the School’s ongoing efforts to enrich and enhance its academic offerings, particularly in terms of internationalization,” stated Professor Arturo De Vivo, Head of the Scuola Superiore Meridionale. “The collaboration will primarily involve students in Chemical and Biomedical Sciences, as well as PhD candidates in Genomic and Experimental Medicine and Clinical and Translational Oncology. However, our goal is to extend these synergies to other scientific areas of the School as well.”

“This synergy strengthens the role of research as a bridge between countries and generations,” commented Professor Antonio Giordano, “and reaffirms our mission: to train young researchers capable of addressing the challenges of the medicine of tomorrow. The Scuola Superiore Meridionale is a center of excellence and a vital reference point for many young scholars; this agreement will further open it up to international scientific exchange.

📍 Read more: https://www.newswise.com/articles/shro-and-scuola-superiore-meridionale-sign-international-agreement-on-cancer-research-and-education

07/23/2025

🧬 One virus. Two diseases.
HPV causes both cervical cancer and oropharyngeal (throat) cancer but they don’t act the same. And we still treat them as if they do.

📉 A new review by SHRO scientists, published in BMC Medicine, reveals a critical gap in care:
HPV-related throat tumors respond well to less radiation.
Cervical tumors still demand intense, aggressive treatment.

“Biology, not assumptions, must guide therapy,” says Dr. Canio Martinelli, lead author and clinician at SHRO.

🧠 The study uncovers key differences:

- How HPV integrates into our DNA
- How each tumor interacts with the immune system
- Why cervical cancer hides, while throat cancer often attracts immune attack

🔬 Equal evidence, not equal doses, should be the standard.

👉 This isn’t just about the virus. It’s about knowing where it lands and why that changes everything. Future therapies could use real-time maps of viral DNA to tailor treatment and spare healthy tissue.

📢 “Once we link viral genetics to tissue context, radiation and immunotherapy can be calibrated, not guessed,” says SHRO President Dr. Antonio Giordano.

07/16/2025

🧬 Why do some women with tiny endometriosis lesions suffer severe pain, while others with larger ones barely notice?

A new study by the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) suggests the answer lies in the molecular “switches” that are flipped inside the tissue, not the size of the lesions themselves.

🔬 Led by Dr. Canio Martinelli, the research shows that endometriosis can activate any combination of six major biological pathways, many of which are also involved in cancer. These “switches” change how the disease behaves, spreads, and feels for each individual. “The pattern of switches, not the size of the lesions, drives how the disease looks and feels for each patient” - explains Dr. Martinelli, reproductive surgeon and first author of the study.

For SHRO President Dr. Antonio Giordano, these findings mark a turning point: “It’s a wake-up call. If we keep treating endometriosis as one disorder, we’ll keep seeing delayed diagnoses, now averaging seven years, and hit-or-miss therapies. Borrowing cancer’s precision-medicine playbook can change that.”

Prof. Alfredo Ercoli, Director of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit at the University Hospital of Messina and study co-author, adds: “Mapping these pathways lets surgeons plan with oncologic-level precision, predicting which lesions will invade deeply and which can be managed conservatively.”

🧪 The study also lays out a translational roadmap, from lab models to early clinical trials, to develop blood-based diagnostics and non-hormonal therapies.

From a fertility-surgery perspective, Dr. Andrea Vidali MD Endometriosis, Adenomyosis , Miscarriage and Dr. Francesco Di Chiara emphasize the benefits for personalized care: “Seeing endometriosis as several distinct conditions helps patients understand why treatments differ,” they explain. “Two patients both labelled ‘stage III’ often need very different approaches. Now we can point to the biology behind those differences.”

📍 From Naples to Philadelphia, SHRO is committed to transforming science into hope for women worldwide.

🔗 Read the full study here:https://www.annals-research-oncology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Martinelli_AnnResOncol_Vol5_no2_2025-2.pdf

College of Science and Technology at Temple University Università di Siena Temple University Polo scientifico internazionale Giovan Giacomo Giordano

07/10/2025

This summer, a group of Temple University students is spending time in Siena at the Università di Siena, diving into cutting-edge research and cross-cultural collaboration.

Pictured here is Prof. Andrea Morrione, Director of SHRO’s Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Signal Transduction Program, together with the students during their academic visit in Italy.

This experience reflects SHRO’s mission to promote global scientific exchange and empower the next generation of biomedical researchers.

From Philadelphia to Tuscany, science knows no borders.

Antonio Giordano College of Science and Technology at Temple University Polo scientifico internazionale Giovan Giacomo Giordano Università di Siena Temple University

07/03/2025

⏳ Time matters. Always.

At our 2025 Gala Dinner, we unveiled a special-edition Liu Jo Luxury watch — created in partnership with SHRO to raise awareness on cancer prevention.

This unique timepiece is a powerful reminder: in research, early diagnosis, and life, every second counts.

🔬 The watch is not for sale. It will be the centerpiece of a campaign blending science, fashion, and social awareness.

🧬 Thank you Liu Jo Luxury for helping us turn a stylish object into a universal message of prevention and hope.

07/02/2025

🧬 Professor Antonio Giordano awarded the Palermo University Prize

Professor Antonio Giordano, founder of SHRO, has been awarded the Palermo University Prize by the University of Palermo for his outstanding international contributions to the study of cancer, genetics, and environmental health.

During the ceremony, Prof. Giordano delivered a lecture titled “Genes, Environment and Cancer,” highlighting the relevance of the One Health approach and the need to act in high-risk areas such as Italy’s Terra dei Fuochi.

The event also marked the inauguration of new research laboratories within the University, developed in collaboration with SHRO Italia ETS.

A heartfelt thank you to Rector Prof. Massimo Midiri and Prof. Antonio Russo for their support and vision.

📍Palermo stands tall as a land of science and hope.

Temple University College of Science and Technology at Temple University Università di Siena